Unfortunately one of our Hawthorne families was recently informed that their daughter (Morgan Levins in grade 7) has been diagnosed with cancer. As a result of the treatment required, Morgan will no longer be able to attend school and she spent her last day with classmates on Monday. As a school we will be working to support Morgan and her family in any way that we can over what will be a challenging year of hospital visits. A "go fund me" account has been set up to address some of the financial hardships that lie ahead: https://www.gofundme.com/2upkpwjg. Any support that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. As well, here is a link that may assist with some conversations at home: http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/friend-cancer.html# .
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FAMILY FUN DAY
On Thursday May 5th Hawthorne will be hosting a day for awareness on Emergency Preparedness. Parents and families are invited to join in with the various activities. Here are some of the key details:
- this event will run from 2:30-5:30pm
- there will be a free Family BBQ with one hotdog and drink per person
- there will also be a small concession selling: chips, pop, candy bags, popcorn, hot dogs
- family emergency kits and information will be available
- games and prizes for kids
- door prizes for adults
- bouncy castle
- the community emergency bin will be open for viewing
- Delta Police will be in attendance
With the timing for this event, we will be asking available parents to arrive early this day to "pick up" their child(ren). This will provide Hawthorne staff with an opportunity to practice our student release program for emergencies. Please do not arrive earlier than 2:30pm. When you do arrive, a staff member will direct you to your child and have him/her released. For those students who do not have a parent picking them up, they will remain with their teacher and return to the classroom until dismissal at 3pm.
*** It is important for parents to understand that all students, whether in kindergarten or grade 12, will only be dismissed from school in emergency situations to their parents or designated emergency release adult. Students cannot be released to an older sibling who is still under the age of 19. Students will not be allowed to leave school property until a pre-designated adult retrieves them. In order to maintain the safety of your children, there can be no exceptions.
This means that parents need to regularly plan for who will be able to pick-up their child in an emergency situation and that the information needs to be reviewed and updated annually. If both parents do not work close to the school, then they should designate another trusted adult who will, most likely, be in the area if disaster strikes during school hours. Again, this person cannot be an older sibling who is under the age of 19. Parents need to inform the school of who their Emergency Release designated adult is and they need to review this information annually and update it if necessary. They should do so via Parent Connect (instructions are listed below). This needs to be done for each child you have in the Delta School District and you need to inform each child of who his/her Emergency Release adult is.
Parent Connect Instructions:
1. Sign on to Parent Connect
2. Click on the BASIC tab on the main toolbar
3. Click on the blue "Emergency/Out of Prov/Other Contacts" button
4. Click on the Edit button to the left side of a blank line to add a new record, or on an existing line to change the information. Use the drop down option box to choose the appropriate option for this record; choose ER-Emergency Release. Fill in all of the fields.
5. Click the Save button to update the changes. If you close the screen or go to another screen before saving, the changes will be lost.
Note: This needs to be completed separately for each child.
For more information about emergency preparedness in the Delta School District visit the DeltaPrepared website: facilities.deltasd.bc.ca/deltaprepared
WHEELS ON THE PLAYGROUND
Students and parents are reminded that "wheels" should not be ridden on the school grounds before or after school. This includes scooters, skateboards and bikes. The great weather of late has brought a dramatic increase in this type of activity on the grounds and it can present as a hazard. Thank you for your attention to this.
NEW CURRICULUM
As you are likely aware, there is a redesigned curriculum in British Columbia that is going to be implemented in September 2016. This curriculum is the result of years of hard work on behalf of teachers and the goal is to ensure all students are prepared to reach their full potential in an interconnected and ever-changing world. The 2016-2017 school year marks the start of a three-year implementation plan and the Delta School District invites parents to attend one of the free information sessions listed below.
North Delta Secondary April 28, 2016 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Ladner Elementary May 3, 2016 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Sunshine Hills Elementary May 5, 2016 6:30pm – 8:00pm
To learn more about these sessions and to RSVP, please visit: new curriculum parents sessions.
CLASSROOM PLACEMENTS: 2016-2017
In the coming weeks, our teaching staff will be meeting to create tentative class lists for next year. The classes will be determined by considering the following factors:
- Learning styles and strengths
- What the child can do in relation to the program
- Degree of independence in work habits
- Social and personal needs
- Age and physical maturity
- Previous year's placement
- Previous teachers input
- Parent input / requests
- Establishing a balanced group academically
- Male/Female balance
- Friendship groupings
- Equalizing class size
- Siblings/Twins
- Special needs
- Medical needs
If you have some information that you would like to include in this process, please forward a note to Mr. Carruthers at the office or correspond via email at mcarruthers@deltasd.bc.ca. We would only ask that you please refrain from making a "teacher" request and focus on what you believe to be the best learning environment for your child. Thank you in advance for your attention to this.
PARENT TEA
Your Hawthorne staff would like to thank parents for all that they do to support the school throughout the year. With this in mind, we are hosting a Parent Volunteer Tea on Tuesday, May 24 from 2-3pm in the library. Please come and join the Hawthorne Staff for a refreshment. As this is an adult only function, if you require childcare in the multipurpose room, please let your child’s teacher know. Please RSVP (via your child’s Planner) by May 16. We look forward to seeing you there!
MATH CELEBRATIONS
A number of our students have spent the last few weeks preparing for the Delta School District's Math Celebrations event. Our Hawthorne students were joined by other South Delta elementary last week at Port Guichon Elementary and performed very well on the challenges they face. Special thanks to Mrs. Retallick for coordinating our efforts.
Participating Students:
Grade 4: Ryan, Abby, Kris, Lily
Grade 5: Pavan Colton, Jessica, Yooie, Annise, Ava, Gabby
Grade 6: Michael, Yunus, Dawson, Priyanshu, Samira, Aish, Gabrielle V., Ryan, Chase, Ekhtiar
VIDEO GAMES
Over the last few months we have had a number of parents raise concerns over the impact that some video games seem to be having on their child's health, language and behaviour. Video games are a reality in most children's lives and there are studies which have found benefits when they used in moderation. Of particular concern at school however, are the students accessing games that are not age appropriate. These games expose students to adult topics, language and violent situations that are sometimes shared on the school grounds.
IMPORTANT DATES
Thursday, May 5
Emergency Prep Family Fun Day
2:30-5:30pm
Friday, May 6
Monthly Assembly
9:30am
Tuesday, May 10
Regional Track Meet
Delta Secondary
Thursday, May 19
District Track Meet
South Delta Secondary
Friday, May 20
Professional Day
School Closed
Monday, May 23
Victoria Day
School Closed
Friday, May 27
Kindergarten 2016-2017 Orientation
Sessions: 9am / 10am / 11am
Tuesday, May 31
PAC Meeting
6:30pm Library
Friday, June 3
Sports Day
2:15pm dismissal (approx.)
Friday, June 10
Monthly Assembly
11am
9:30am
Tuesday, May 10
Regional Track Meet
Delta Secondary
Thursday, May 19
District Track Meet
South Delta Secondary
Friday, May 20
Professional Day
School Closed
Monday, May 23
Victoria Day
School Closed
Friday, May 27
Kindergarten 2016-2017 Orientation
Sessions: 9am / 10am / 11am
Tuesday, May 31
PAC Meeting
6:30pm Library
Friday, June 3
Sports Day
2:15pm dismissal (approx.)
Friday, June 10
Monthly Assembly
11am
